The Land After

by Fat1thatyoulove


Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – Knowledge

It has been a few moments since Preston and Clover left the house, which has put the stallion in a slightly strange silence as he continues to trot up the stairs. However, as Sagitta nears the first floor of the tower his trot comes to an end.

His eyes turn to the old stallion sitting in the hard dark oak wood chair. Star Swirl shifts his eyes to the stallion at the doorway as he looks to the light taupe grey coat with white lightly greying mane, "When I learned that I would not be allowed to pick my own successor I at least thought Princess Celestia would have selected a younger pony."

Sagitta cracks a slight smile to the comment as he bows his head, "If I look as you fair as you do when I am your age, then I would not judge other ponies."

"Bha." Star Swirl turns his head towards the table in front of him as he shakes his head, "...You should not wish to be my age, you should beg to stay yours."

The older stallion's words nod Sagitta's head as he speaks up, "That may be, but at least at your age you can influence more ponies with a flick of your hoof then I could with a stack of papers."

"Hmm..." Star Swirl looks over his hoof as he thinks over the comment, but he moves the hoof from his sight as he pulls to his beard a little, "Funny you would say that." A low exhale comes from the stallion as he turns back towards Sagitta, "...My words and hooves have been worthless, and all of my work will have mattered for nothing."

Sagitta blinks to the comment as he cocks his head, "I would have to disagree with you Star Swirl. Your conjuring skills in your youth would suffice for infamy for any pony, let alone everything you have done since then."

A little laugh comes up from Star Swirl as he strokes his beard, "Ah-ha-ha..." His laugh is quickly interrupted by a cough as he brings his hoof over his mouth for the moment, but his voice is quick to return as he speaks up, "I did nothing for fame, nor have I actively pursued it. Instead, I did what I set my mind to." Star Swirl wiggles his hoof towards one of the chairs in the corner of the room.

Sagitta trots over to take a seat as the older stallion trails on, "It's funny, in my youth I aspired to be just good at my magic. Conjuring is not the easiest of things to follow, and I have dealt with my fair share of poor decisions because of it." A laugh comes up from the old stallion as he wiggles his hoof to Sagitta, "N-never barter with a Wyvern if you have something to lose, and never take a Phoenix feather when those blasted creatures are awake. I would do these things, and I would risk my life to collect items not because I knew fame follows from the spell I could produce...But instead because of the magic I believed I could create from it."

Star Swirls smile comes down as he looks over the respectful smile the stallion in the chair in front of him holds, "Do you want to know a secret?"

Sagitta nods as he awaits the older stallion to continue.

"The secret is magic is not created...Because it already exist in everything." Star Swirl nods his head as he thinks over the comment for a moment, "The smartest pony I ever meet taught me that." The older stallion closes his eyes for a moment as he shakes his head, "...She also showed me something else about magic."

Star Swirl slowly opens his eyes as they fall towards the ground, "She showed me that as much as it creates, it also takes. Magic may exist in everything and is everywhere, but its balance is not. Its what you do to it that makes it the way it is, and in some cases once you have done something so grand you realize what was used to make it."

The white bearded stallion turns his head to the pony in front of him as he continues, "Magic as you should well know is generated by thoughts and emotions, two things a pony and any being for that matter is full of." Star Swirl nods his head as one of his old hooves comes up towards the stallion, "And sometimes, magic needs a lot more than just believing in it..."

He turns his amber eyes back towards the floor as he shakes his head, "And I wish I would have known that then..."

There is a moment of silence in the room as Sagitta just stares to the older stallion in front of him with a slight bit of confusion to the lengthy older pony's jabber that to was almost meaningless.

However the moment of silence is brought to an end as Star Swirl brings his head up, "Now...Tell me Sagitta was it? You know my foible in magic I have, but yet I know nothing of what areas you enjoy."

Sagitta nods as he speaks up, "Well...I enjoy the area of Necromancy and Herbology. But I would not call your enjoyment of Conjuring and Magic Effect study a fault Star Swirl."

As the stallion waits for a comment Star Swirl ignores his last few words as he speaks up, "Necromancy hmm? A very peculiar area of study."

The words bring a faint smile to Sagitta's face as he speaks up, "I assure you, I did not pick that area of magic to process the idea of immortality. I chose it because of I believe in something you have already said..."

Star Swirl's ear flicks to the comment as they stay at attention to the stallion's next words, "...You said that magic is in everything and is not created. I agree with that. That is why I believe magic is transferred, from a pony to the plants to the air to the water."

A slight laugh comes up from Star Swirl as he looks over the stallion's only slightly greyed mane, "A statement that would have been rejected in the old Unicorn rule. Bold, to believe unicorns are not the sole users of magic. But a very useful knowledge to have."

Despite Star Swirl's lighter words his tone shifts as he loses his smile and looks over the stallion again, "Tell me Sagitta. From what I can tell you are in no way ill prepared to become the new Mage for the Unicorns, so please, why did Celestia send you to meet me?"

Sagitta's smile fades as he turns his eyes towards the door a little, "I was hoping your assistant and her...Friend would leave." He turns back to Star Swirl as he gives a little smile, "I did not want information like this to be heard by just anypony. But from what I gather from Princess Celestia's letters is that the sole reason I was to meet with you was because she wishes to know the where abouts of the Element of Harmony."

A slight smirk comes to Star Swirls face as he strokes his beard, "My memory has been fading for quite some time. But that a cursed item will always stay in my mind...That and its predecessor in the late Crystal Empire. But...I was under the impression she asked me to hide it, so that no pony could find it until it was needed again?"

Sagitta nods, "As I understand you were tasked to do this. However, you never sent her the information as to where you hid it."

Star Swirl smiles as he speaks up, "That is because I have not hid it."

The comment brings a strange look to Sagitta's face as he questions the comment, "I beg your pardon?"

"You can not find what was never hidden, and those seeking to use such a powerful tool could not handle its consequences and burden."

"I-I do not understand, if it is not hidden where is it?" Sagitta blinks to the comment as he waits for an answer.

Star Swirl nods as he sighs, "I have it." As his words come down he leans forward a little, "But I will not give it to anypony until they know of the consequences of using it."

Sagitta nods as he leans forward for more.

However his lean only brings a faint smile to Star Swirl as he looks over the stallion, "Necromancy correct?"

The sudden change in conversation brings a confused stare to the stallion as he nods, "Y-yes?"

"Hmm..." Star Swirl rubs his beard a little as he speaks up, "The Element of Harmony is a powerful force, and it should only be guarded by somepony who has seen it or used it." Star Swirl closes his eyes for a moment as he sighs, "I want you to return to the castle, and ask yourself if you wish to do what I do."

Star Swirl's hoof stops his brushing of his beard as he continues, "When you find the answer is yes, which you will come back here tonight."

Sagitta nods as he cocks his head still a little confused.

"Until tonight Sagitta Duscle." Star Swirl waves his hoof as he watches the stallion stand.

Sagitta's trot comes up as the slight bow he gives to the older pony ends.

It only takes a few moments for the stallion to leave the room as the sound of his hooves to the stairs ring through the quite castle.

As the sound of the door opening and then closes comes to Star Swirl's ears he turns his attention to the small table in front of him as he moves his hoof to the small drawer on his left.

Just as the drawer opens the low chime of the low glowing gold crown with the bright light purple gem in the center comes to the tower. Star Swirl looks over the crown for a moment as he sets it to the table in front of him.

With a sigh the old pony watches the stallion outside crossing the field towards the castle in the near distance.

End of chapter 9